Russian researcher strategizes on collaboration with China over healthcare AI
Have you ever wondered what China and Russia would talk about if they were to discuss AI in healthcare? It turns out they do just that—and a newly published academic paper straight out of the Russian Federation offers a glimpse into the dialogue.
The paper’s author is one A.D. Nalivkina of the North-West Institute of Management of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. A Russian journal called Administrative Consulting published the piece June 28.
Here are Nalivkina’s major conclusions.
1. Cooperation between Russia and China in the field of applying AI technologies in healthcare should be viewed as an element of a broad foreign policy strategy aimed at diversifying international technological ties, forming scientific autonomy and reducing dependence on Western digital platforms.
In the context of increasing pressure from the West, which seeks to limit the scientific and technical autonomy of Russia and China, the creation of intergovernmental working groups within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS [the economic/diplomatic bloc originally connecting Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but still expanding] will be an important step toward the formation of a common strategy and ensuring the technological sovereignty of the [involved] countries.
2. The stable nature of Russian-Chinese interstate relations creates a favorable environment for the development of joint projects in the field of innovative technologies, including the development and implementation of advanced AI solutions in healthcare.
Promising areas of cooperation include AI diagnostics of medical data and images, as well as the creation of telemedicine platforms using AI algorithms to generate personalized treatment recommendations.
Scientific achievements in this area can serve as the basis for the transition to a fundamentally new level of medical care—the development of individual treatment protocols based on a comprehensive analysis of the patient's genomic data.
3. Despite the unified focus of state policy in Russia and China in the field of AI development in healthcare, the approaches to organizing data exchange in the countries differ significantly.
China supports the development of open-source AI technologies and their wide availability, while Russia, on the contrary, has stricter information protection regimes.
4. In order to institutionalize the interaction between Russia and China in the field of applying AI technologies in healthcare, it is advisable to initiate the conclusion of a bilateral agreement regulating the procedure for exchanging medical data in accordance with the national legal regimes of the countries.
The agreement will provide a legal basis for interaction and minimize the risks associated with legal uncertainty.
5. An effective solution to eliminate language and expertise barriers in scientific and technical cooperation between countries could be the creation of a bilateral research center.
This institutional structure, acting as a ‘soft power’ instrument, will facilitate political support and the formation of sustainable scientific communications.
The development of a partnership strategy in the field of applying AI technologies in healthcare will not only strengthen the scientific and technological potential of Russia and China, but also create a new model of international cooperation in the field of digital medicine.
The study is posted online in full for free—albeit in Russian. Hat tip to DocTranslator for rendering the document in English.
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Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.